The number of Canadians who fish recreationally continues to decline as other activities compete for their leisure time, according to a federal survey.

More than 3.2 million adults fished recreationally in Canada in 2005, down 10 per cent from 3.6 million in 2000, said the survey by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

The number of adult anglers has decreased two per cent annually, on average, over the last 10 years.

The population of adult anglers continues to age, the survey said. More than half of Canadian anglers were in the 45-64 age group, whereas only 26 per cent of the general population falls in that age range.

Anglers caught a total of 215 million fish in 2005 and kept nearly 72 million. "The success of catch-and-release programs is a testament to the importance of conservation to anglers in Canada," according to a news release.

Walleye was the No. 1 species caught in 2005, surpassing trout for the first time since the survey, conducted every five years, was initially done in 1975. Other top species were trout, perch, bass and northern pike

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